SIR - The continuing debate about the BNP has been further confused by the inept opinions of the three party leaders of the Council. Furthermore, I feel most correspondents on the subject have missed the point.

Asylum seekers have little or nothing to do with the emergence of the BNP. It is a long-expected protest by Britons, who over the last 50 years have seen their way of life threatened.

Bradford desperately needs an articulate, well-educated, well-paid Muslim middle-class, representatives who can lead their brothers away from today's medieval backward-looking leaders.

The city also needs massive investment in the poorer white communities where, like their Muslim counterparts, most children are continually let down by fourth-rate parents.

Whoever you are, if your children continually fail at school, look in the mirror.

If all the children in a class of, say five-year-olds, speak good English, have a growing vocabulary and a blotting-paper mind for knowledge, few will notice race, religion or even colour.

Les Brotherton, Caroline Street, Saltaire.

SIR - In reply to G Stephens (Letters, May 29) may I point out some home truths to him. Firstly the majority of the people who come here through an arranged marriage do actually work and do not rely on government hand-outs as he is implying. If he ever opened up his eyes he would realise that the immigrant community has made a massive contribution to the economy.

And as for blaming the shortage of money for nursing homes on new immigrants, I have a very simple answer to his groundless argument: keep your parents with you when they are old and frail rather than dumping them in a nursing home.

Hamdan Khan, St Michaels Road, Bradford 8.

SIR - What a relief to see that our councillors are set to resume their duties with a vigour. What a shame, but not a surprise, that the first thing they must deal with are their own allowance increases .

Let us be very clear about this: these are not "allowances". They are in many cases much more than a good wage, certainly more than many cash-strapped Bradfordians earn.

Never mind telling us that these allowances represent only 0.17 per cent of the Council's budget or that they are recommended by an "independent" panel when we can see shortages everywhere we look.

These positions should be pursued as an honour and out of a genuine desire to help the people of Bradford and rewarded with genuine expenses. If, as Councillor Eaton claims, "these are more than full-time jobs" perhaps she could supply us with the actual hours worked to enable us to judge for ourselves.

Any bets on the level of the next council tax increase?

Derrick Hargreaves, Middlebrook Crescent, Fairweather Green, Bradford 8.

SIR - Re Dr Kundu's letter about parental failure to secure children in vehicles being both reckless and illegal (Letters, May 21).

His question as to why police do not enforce the laws to protect children is easy to answer. If a rare police officer on the beat in Bradford actually saw an incident like this, he wouldn't do anything.

Police in cars must see hundreds of motorists on mobile phones every day, yet nothing happens.

Stand at the traffic lights outside Lawcroft Police Station and you will see a total rejection of the Highway Code.

I saw a police officer walking on the pavement outside the station and two youths on one bike on the same pavement just rode past him. Nothing was said. I nearly exploded.

If offences do not fit into the agenda of the police, it's now permissible not to see them.

Gary Lorriman, Long Lane, Harden.

SIR - Lawyer Asama Javed wants to set up a support group to help battered males, mostly Pakistani.

It really angers me that non-productive groups, (lawyers etc), are always on the look-out for even more ways of subtracting people's honestly-earned money from them.

And they always use the same tactics: try to gain sympathy for your cause by making your would-be victims feel guilty.

Sadly most people fall for this one and are frightened to complain lest the do-gooders call them heartless or whatever.

Do all these cases of husband battering appear in court? Or is the idea to keep people in this country who would otherwise be deported? I think the Home Office needs to look deeply into this one.

Eric Firth, Wellington Street, Wilsden.

SIR - Could I, through your newspaper complain strongly about the behaviour of some Leeds Rhinos thugs who threw stones at my brother-in-law's car at Odsal roundabout after the superb victory of the Bulls.

My ten-year-old granddaughter was in the front seat when the stones hit the car windscreen. Luckily it didn't break.

These are the so-called Leeds fans that Rugby League could do without. It's a family sport at the Bulls, which all my family enjoy and support.

Carallyn A Fisher, Whiteways, Bolton Lane, Bradford 2.

SIR - Re "Poll Tax plea" (Letters, May 23). Alan Holdsworth asks "with hindsight", whether the Government will recommend bringing the Poll Tax back because council tax has risen relatively sharply! What has hindsight got to do with anything? What happy memories has Alan got of the Poll Tax?

The sensible solution to local taxation is a local income tax. Those who can afford to pay more, do so. If a house has five working adults, they all pay!

Madam and her cronies once tried to get blood out of a stone. I don't understand why Mr Holdsworth thinks the Labour Government should be stupid enough to try the same.

John Hall, Pennithorne Avenue, Baildon.

SIR - If we do not have a referendum on the proposed new European Union constitution, the sun will set on the greatest nation the world has every seen - a nation unlike the cowardly, back-stabbing French and Belgians and the arrogant Germans.

Who wants to be associated with people like these?

But we are being betrayed by the Government. They have no mandate to do this. Let's get rid of them.

N Brown, Peterborough Place, Undercliffe.

SIR - The new World Heritage Officer appointed by Bradford Council to promote Saltaire village would be well advised to spend an afternoon in the company of former Tourism Officer Maria Glot, right, on one of her conducted tours of Saltaire village.

Having done the same myself quite recently I can guarantee that Ms Wilkinson will be treated to an interesting, informative and at times comical visit to the past with Ms Glot as her guide.

Ms Glot has the ability, like a good teacher, to capture and hold the attention of her listeners and to paint a vivid and often astounding picture that stays alive in the mind long after the tour is finished, making the few hours spent in the village stand out and remain as one of life's unforgettable little pleasures!

Enid Estep, Back Lane, Clayton Heights, Bradford 13